We study whether the spatial distribution of natural resources across different ethnic groups within countries impede spatial inequality, national economic performance, and the incidence of armed conflict. By providing a theoretical rent-seeking model and analysing a set of geocoded data for...

Cement industry is among the most energy-intensive economic sectors. Moreover, significant amounts of carbon dioxide are released to the atmosphere as a result of Portland clinker combustion process, where carbonates (limestone, marl) are the main raw materials applied. To offset the harmful...

We investigate whether mining affects local-level corruption in Africa. Several cross-country analyses report that natural resource production and wealth have adverse effects on political institutions, for instance by increasing corruption, whereas other country-level studies show no evidence of...

We combine original geo-referenced data on mining extraction of 15 minerals with information on conflict events at spatial resolution of 0.5o x 0.5o for all Africa over 1997-2010. Exploiting exogenous variations in world prices, we find a positive impact of mining on conict at the local level....

East Africa is undergoing a natural resource boom that has the potential to reshape national economies and development aid in the region. Questions remain whether key Danish development partners, including Tanzania, Mozambique, and Uganda, can harness newfound oil, gas, and minerals for...

A growing number of civil society organisations apply human rights based approaches in their work. But what are the practical experiences with such approaches in climate change adaptation? This new DIIS report examines how NGOs in Cambodia and Kenya are approaching the issue of human rights in...

Mine-related transport infrastructure specializes in connecting mines to the coast, and not so much to neighboring countries. This is most clearly seen in developing countries, whose transport infrastructure was originally designed to facilitate the export of natural resources in colonial times....

What drives the long-term demand for mineral commodities? This paper provides empirical evidence on the long-run demand for mineral commodities since 1840. I extend the partial adjustment model to account for country-specific structures and technological change. I find that a one percent...

This paper documents a positive relationship between mineral resources abundance and individualistic values in the United States. We refer to "individualism" as the set of values opposed to public intervention in income allocation and favorable to individual selfresponsibility. We show that...

"Today international commodity markets are being affected by the longest and most pervasive 'wave' of export restrictions on raw materials since the Second World War. The origin of this phenomenon can be traced back to the 2000s commodities boom , and its endurance to an exceptional mix of...

To date, mineral resources are only mined on land but projected increases in demand have brought the exploration and exploitation of marine mineral resources back into focus. The Atlantis II Deep, located in the central Red Sea between Saudi Arabia and Sudan, is one of the largest marine sulfide...